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Post by dcarvak on May 22, 2024 18:01:09 GMT -6
I have a portable recording session coming up and want to know what mics to bring.
There will be a female and male vocalist, two acoustic guitars, Cajon, harmonica, shaker, and tambourine. The space isn’t treated well, but I am bringing some acoustic treatment to help with reflections. This is folk-pop style music. Likely, we will record everything separately. I will want to mic the guitar with two mics for some songs. There will only be a few songs that have the second guitar on them and will have a male vocalist; most will be the female singer and one acoustic guitar.
With that said, the mics I have available are sm57, sm545, Sennheiser 421-II, Soyuz 017, Stager sr-2n, Sony c38b, Shure beta 52a, Shure beta 56a, Beyerdynamic m88, ev635a, Shure sm7b, Austrian audio oc818, and a matched pair of Neumann km184s.
Which mics should I bring, and what should they be used on? I don’t want to lug everything, but I want to get great captures.
I am thinking:
Female vocals - Soyuz 017
Male vocals - Shure sm7b
Cajon port - Beta 52a
Cajon front - sm57
Acoustic guitar - km184 and Sony c38b
Harmonica - Stager mic
Shaker and Tamb - sm57
Just in case mic - OC818
Thoughts?
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Post by lpedrum on May 22, 2024 19:50:11 GMT -6
Nothing wrong with those mic choices. The red flag for me is the tambourine. If it's acoustic folk in a live room it could very easily take over and bleed into everything.
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Post by dcarvak on May 22, 2024 20:42:34 GMT -6
Nothing wrong with those mic choices. The red flag for me is the tambourine. If it's acoustic folk in a live room it could very easily take over and bleed into everything. Oh I will be recording that separately in its own take for sure! For the most part everything will be recorded by itself so no worries there! |
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Post by drumsound on May 22, 2024 20:56:08 GMT -6
I'd replace the cajon front with the M88 and the shakers and tambourine with the 635a.
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Post by copperx on May 22, 2024 21:01:49 GMT -6
That's too many mics in my estimation, if you're overdubbing. Lose the dynamics, favor the multipattern.
I would just take the 017, the OC818, the Stager, and the km184 and record EVERYTHING with those. I would use the Stager for the Shaker, tambourine, and harmonica. I would use the OC818 in Figure 8 for the cajon port to get a bit of ambience. The c38b would be my just in case mic, if I had time to try different mics on the vocalists. The vocalists would either be recorded with the 017 or the OC818.
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Post by smashlord on May 22, 2024 21:54:20 GMT -6
If the 017 is anything like its FET brethren, I'd give that a go on acoustic! The 017 FET is beautiful on acoustic.
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Post by doubledog on May 23, 2024 7:57:32 GMT -6
Definitely try the Stager (ribbon) on the percussion - but keep a good distance (3 feet or more) so you avoid the proximity thump. I'd skip the b52a also. Try the 421, M88 or C38b instead on Cajon (or where you need more low end).
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Post by kbsmoove on May 23, 2024 8:46:55 GMT -6
C38b in Omni can sound killer on acoustic guitar.
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Post by drumsound on May 23, 2024 8:53:10 GMT -6
Also, you mentioned that they will be recording one at a time. A cool thing to do is set up a room mic(s) that stay in the same spot, but set each player up in a different spot, and record the room mics with each player. It can give the feel of people in the same room playing together.
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Post by dcarvak on May 23, 2024 11:20:20 GMT -6
Cool thanks everyone! Okay revised:
Female Vocals: Soyuz 017
Male Vocals: OC818 (or Sony c38b)
Acoustic guitar: XY matched pair km184 for stereo, and Sony c38b for mono (will try Soyuz also, haven't ever tried that on acoustic)
Shaker/Tamb/Harmonica: Stager
Cajon Port: OC818
Cajon Front: km184 (or Stager)
Room mic: ev635a (always love this mic for room)
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Post by dcarvak on May 23, 2024 11:38:28 GMT -6
Follow up question: she’s very into harmonies. I always use the same mic for the harmonies but this time am considering using the Stager mic for harmonies. Thoughts?
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Post by chessparov on May 23, 2024 11:54:30 GMT -6
You mean other than the EV 635a?  I'd get that M88 on one Lead Vocal too.  Those two "had me" once I read the Room wasn't fully treated. Some singers do sound excellent on (Ward's fave LOL!)... SM7! But wouldn’t assume it up front. Chris P.S. A M88 kills the OC18 on my voice BTW. Even in a "good room". |
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Post by niklas1073 on May 23, 2024 12:19:41 GMT -6
For what you are about to record and how it looks in my head from what you have described, I would likely do that with the Soyuz alone. From those mics tracking a folky pop tune I would line that soyuz up with a nice pre and comp and let it rip. Carry along a sm7 and what not just in case something sounds really off, but with the soyuz I would not worry too much.
I track acoustics often with a soyuz1973 and it’s killer. Just to do something different I tried set up a pair of sdc’s the other day and it sounded just boring. The soyuz1973 has a real identity as has the 017.
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Post by the other mark williams on May 23, 2024 20:57:32 GMT -6
Follow up question: she’s very into harmonies. I always use the same mic for the harmonies but this time am considering using the Stager mic for harmonies. Thoughts? Is she singing her own harmonies? Or is someone else singing those? If she's singing her own harmonies, I would almost certainly use a different mic (unless you're really going for an almost-can't-distinguish-the-harmony-vox-from-the-lead-vox thing). And yes, the Soyuz 017FET is one of my favorite acoustic guitar mics ever. No doubt in my mind the tube version would kill, too. |
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ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 16,086 
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Post by ericn on May 23, 2024 21:36:31 GMT -6
OK here is my suggestion for a plan, there is no plan. Look your not tracking everything live at once, so any plan based on simple what each source is vs how they sound is a rough guide at best.
I’m going to take the first hour of the session and waste it finding which mic works on what in reality vs theoretical terms.
If in fact what ever plan you walk in with works pretty well you look fairly smart, but if I find your choices could be improved upon I look like a Genius.
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Post by dcarvak on May 29, 2024 8:21:48 GMT -6
Session was very successful. Spent adequate time testing out mics and settled on:
Female vocals (and harmonies): Soyuz 017
Male vocals: OC818
Acoustic guitar: km184 and stager
Harmonica/Tamb/Shaker/Cajon front: stager
Cajon port: m88
Thanks again everyone for helping me to have a successful recording weekend!
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Post by drumsound on May 29, 2024 11:05:00 GMT -6
Session was very successful. Spent adequate time testing out mics and settled on: Female vocals (and harmonies): Soyuz 017 Male vocals: OC818 Acoustic guitar: km184 and stager Harmonica/Tamb/Shaker/Cajon front: stager Cajon port: m88 Thanks again everyone for helping me to have a successful recording weekend! I'm glad it went well. I'm also glad to notice the 57 stayed in it's vinyl bag where it belongs. When the project is released, please bump this with a link. |
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Post by chessparov on May 29, 2024 11:43:36 GMT -6
I totally understand. I have mixed feelings on ever finding my (temporarily ?) "lost" 58! Forces me to use either of my 635a/767a/D790. When in Dynamic "need". Chris |
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